3973. BACON and CURRANT PORK BURGERS with SPICY ORANGE DRESSING

1 lb ground pork

¼ cup dried currants

8 strips bacon, diced

1 orange, peeled and diced

1 8oz can green chiles

½ 7oz can coconut milk

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon ground mustard

¼ teaspoon paprika

salt and pepper to taste

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon fat of choice

First, heat up your grill. If you are not using a grill, forget this step.

Now dice up your bacon. Maybe to 1 inch long strips/rectangles and throw them in a deep frying pan over medium-high heat.

While the bacon cooks, add your ground pork, currants, and spices to a bowl and mix together. Once the bacon is done cooking, add the cooled bacon to the mixture and mix all together.

Form into patties, however big you would like, and throw those little suckers on your hot grill. If you are not using a grill and just want to use your frying pan, pour the excess bacon fat into a jar/can to use later and add your pork burgers directly to that hot pan. They will need to cook for about 5-6 minutes/side depending how thick you made them and where you decide to cook them.

While the burgers cook on grill or pan, pull out a smaller saute pan, and add your fat of choice along with your minced garlic clove and heat up under medium-high heat.

Once the garlic smell fills the air, add your coconut milk, oranges, and green chiles to the mixture.

Add a bit of salt and pepper to the mix and stir. Turn the heat down low and let simmer for about 3-4 minutes.

Once the burgers are cooked through, top them off with the spicy orange dressing.

bacon recipe source: Juli Bauer, paleomg.com (@paleOMG), June 20, 2011

3908. BACON-WRAPPED DRIED PLUMS with BLUE CHEESE and BALSAMIC-HONEY GLAZE

Makes 24 Pieces


Plums:
9 ounces of thinly-sliced bacon, cut in half 

2 ounces soft blue cheese

3 ounces cream cheese

½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Pinch of kosher salt

24 pitted dried plums (prunes)

Balsamic Glaze:
½ cup balsamic

1 ½ Tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Bacon: Lay the cut bacon on a cooling rack over a sheet pan. Transfer to the oven and partially cook the bacon (only 5 minutes).

Make Stuffing: Using a hand mixer or fork, mix the blue cheese and cream cheese together. Add the thyme and salt. Chill in freezer for 5 minutes.

Stuff Prunes: Using a pastry bag fitted with ¼-inch tip, stuff each prune with 1 teaspoon of the cheese mixture. Wrap with a piece of partially cooked bacon and fasten with a toothpick.

Broil: Place on a baking pan and broil on one side until the bacon starts to brown (about 2-3 minutes). Turn and finish cooking until the bacon is crisp (another 2-3 minutes). If left too long under the broiler, the cheese will melt and ooze out. Transfer to a platter, garnish platter with a few sprigs of thyme.

Balsamic Glaze: Combine balsamic and honey in a sauté pan and simmer/reduce for 2 minutes. Drizzle or brush over plated prunes.


bacon recipe source: Parties That Cook (@PartiesThatCook), 601 Minnesota Street, Suite 115, San Francisco, CA 94107

3883. BACON BOURBON FRUITCAKE

1 c raisins
1 c chopped, pitted dates
1 c chopped dried apples
1 c bourbon
1 c brown sugar
6 T butter
4 T bacon grease (see syrup recipe below)
1 c apple juice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 ¾ c all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
¼ to ½ cup toasted pecans, broken

Bourbon Maple Bacon syrup
1 lb bacon, thick cut, double smoked, cut to ½ inch pieces
6 oz bourbon
1 ½ c maple syrup

Fry bacon (in 2 batches, if needed) over medium heat until golden brown. Drain off a good portion of the grease and set aside for later use in the fruitcake. OFF THE HEAT, CAREFULLY add the bourbon to bacon in the pan, stirring and scraping the bits off the bottom. Add in your maple syrup and stir. Increase heat to med/high until bubbling well. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool for a bit. Transfer to a container and cover, refrigerate overnight.

The next day, skim the fat from the surface and using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the syrup mixture for use in fruitcake. Refrigerate syrup until you’re ready to baste the cakes.

Fruitcake:

Combine dried fruits, add bourbon and macerate overnight or microwave 5 minutes to rehydrate fruit.

Place fruit and liquid in a non-reactive pot with the sugar, butter, bacon grease, apple juice and cinnamon. Bring mixture to a boil stirring often, then reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for at least 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325.

Combine dry ingredients and stir carefully into the fruit mixture. When combined, stir in eggs one at a time, then fold in nuts and reserved bacon. Try not to overmix. Spoon into a 10 inch non-stick loaf pan and bake for 1 hour, or mini loaf pans and check doneness after 20 minutes with a toothpick.

remove from oven and place on a cooling rack. Baste with Bourbon Maple Bacon syrup and let cool completely before turning out of the pan.

When it is completely cool, place in a tight sealing, food safe container and put in the refrigerator. Once or twice a day for 3 days, baste the cake on all sides with syrup mixture.


bacon recipe source: Megan Schettler Schug, "Bacon Saves the Fruitcake!", KIOA 93.3, Iowa, November 27, 2013

3798. BLUE CHEESE BURGER with BACON WALNUT CHUTNEY

Servings: 1

For Burger:
6-8 ounces ground beef (or beef blend)
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup (2 ounces) blue cheese, crumbled and divided
1 bun, toasted
1-2 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) Walnut Bacon Bourbon Chutney (recipe below)
2 large leaves butter lettuce

For Walnut Bacon Bourbon Chutney:
1 pound thick cut bacon, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3/4 cup combination of chopped fruits/vegetables: pears, fennel and/or rehydrated apricots, sun dried tomatoes, figs, dried cranberries, cherries or yellow raisins
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons bourbon
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

For burger: Season beef with salt and pepper to taste and form burger. Use preferred method to stuff burger with 1 ounce blue cheese; grill burger to desired doneness. Top bottom of bun with some bacon walnut chutney and lettuce; place grilled burger over lettuce and garnish with remaining blue cheese and additional chutney.

For chutney: In large pan, fry bacon until crisp; remove bacon and drain all but enough bacon fat to coat bottom of pan. Add onion and sauté until translucent; add fruit and/or vegetables, garlic and thyme; sauté another minute. Add sugar, vinegar, bourbon and water; simmer covered until liquid is reduced by 3/4. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Add cooked bacon and walnuts. Season with salt and pepper. Top blue cheese burger with chutney. Reserve remaining chutney for additional burgers.

bacon recipe source: Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (@WisconsinCheese), 8418 Excelsior Drive, Madison, Wisconsin 53717

3654. SAVORY BACON GRANOLA

1 1/4 cup of rolled oats
4 slices of thick cut bacon
1/2 cup of flax seeds
1/2 cup of sunflower seeds (unsalted)
1/2 cup of sliced almonds
1/2 cup of dried apples, diced
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1 egg white
1/4 cup of vegetable oil
3 tablespoons of maple syrup

Preheat oven at 325 degrees F. Cut bacon into small cubes and cook in a pan over medium high heat until fat renders and just begins to tan around the edges. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Combine oats, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, almonds, dried apple, bacon, and salt in a large bowl and toss to combine. Whisk an egg white in a small bowl until frothy. Add maple syrup and oil to the bowl of the oat mixture and add egg white. Toss to coat. Pour in even layer on baking sheet lined with parchment and bake for 25 minutes until lightly browned. Cool completely and store in an air tight container.


bacon recipe source: Karen, Honestly YUM (@HonestlyYUM), August 6, 2014

3318. BACON-APRICOT CORNBREAD with MAPLE ICE CREAM

yields one 8 x 8-inch cornbread, about 9 servings


Maple Ice Cream:
2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 vanilla bean, split
5 egg yolks

Cornbread:
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup diced bacon
1 1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup whole milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup dried apricots, diced
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon molasses
2 tablespoons maple syrup, optional

To make the maple ice cream, combine the cream, syrup, sugar, and vanilla bean in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar.

Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks until light and fluffy. Remove the vanilla bean from the cream mixture. By droplets at first, whisk the hot mixture into the yolks to temper them. Pour this back into the saucepan, set over medium-low heat and continue stirring until the mixture begins to thicken and give off steam; do not let it come to a boil. Remove from the heat and transfer to a clean bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

Churn this mixture in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions.

To make the cornbread, preheat the oven to 325˚F. Grease an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with one tablespoon of the butter. Coat with 2 tablespoons of flour and set aside.

Heat remaining tablespoon of butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until the bacon is browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Combine the remaining 1 cup of flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add buttermilk, milk, and eggs. Stir until just combined.

Combine apricots, honey, molasses, and cooked bacon with about a tablespoon of the bacon drippings and stir to combine. Pour cornbread mixture into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Allow to cool slightly. Serve with a scoop maple ice cream.

If desired, you can combine any remaining bacon drippings with 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and drizzle over the top of the ice cream. You can also top with some additional cooked bacon bits.


bacon recipe source: Gabriel Rucker, Le Pigeon, 738 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214; James Beard Foundation, 167 West 12th Street, New York, NY 10011

3204. MUTTON and BACON POTJIE (SOUTH AFRICAN STEW)

serves six


1 kg neck of mutton (cut into pieces)
250 grams rindless bacon (chopped)
30 ml butter or margarine
2 medium onions (thinly sliced)
10 ml barbecue spice
salt & pepper to taste
300 ml dry white wine
150 ml water
3 large carrots (peeled and sliced)
5 medium potatoes (peeled and halved)
50 ml Worcestershire sauce
150 grams dried peaches or apricots (soaked in water for 1 hour and drained)
250 grams courgettes (sliced)
200 grams whole button mushrooms

Sauce
200 ml fresh milk
100 ml fresh cream
30 ml apricot jam
30 ml cornflour

Heat the pot and melt the butter in it. Fry the onions until tender remove and set aside. Fry bacon until crisp, remove and set aside. Season the meat with salt, pepper and spices and brown lightly on both sides. Mix the wine, water and Worcestershire sauce and add just enough to cover the meat. Cover and simmer gently for 1 and half hours. Add dried peaches or apricot, carrots, bacon and onions replace the lid and simmer for 15 minutes. Arrange the potatoes, courgettes and mushrooms in layers on top. Cover and simmer for further 15 minutes. Add the remaining liquid, replace the lid and simmer for approximately 1 hour. Mix the milk, cream and jam with cornflour. Simmer for 20 minutes.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Potjiekos World

3108. WILTED ESCAROLE SALAD with FIGS, BACON and BLUE CHEESE

yields 4 servings (serving size: about 1 cup)


2 bacon slices 
1 head escarole  
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
2 tablespoons minced shallots 
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice 
1/4 cup dried figs, chopped 
2 tablespoons sugar 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (about 4 ounces)

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and crumble. Set aside, and reserve 1 teaspoon drippings in pan. Place escarole top-down in pan, and press down gently. Cook over medium-high heat for 3 minutes or until wilted. Flip, and cook 1 minute. Remove to cutting board; coarsely chop escarole, discarding core, and transfer to a large bowl. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat; add minced shallots, and cook 3 minutes or until golden brown. Add balsamic vinegar, orange juice, dried figs, and sugar to pan; stir to dissolve sugar and thicken. Pour dressing and figs over escarole, tossing gently to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Mound on top of chicken; top with cheese and bacon.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Health.com

3081. DRIED PLUMS with BACON and FRESH GOAT CHEESE

serves twelve


12 pitted dried plums
5 1/3 ounces goat cheese, divided into 12 equal portions
3 slices bacon, each cut into 2-inch pieces (to total 12 pieces)

For each dried plum, make a lengthwise slit and spoon a portion of cheese into slit; wrap with a piece of bacon. Secure bacon with wooden pick; arrange on rack in broiler pan. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat 6 to 8 minutes or until browned and barely crisp, turning once. Serve hot or warm.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Georgeanne Brennan, California Dried Plums Board 

2927. CREAMY POLENTA with BACON and CRANBERRIES

yields four servings


Polenta:

2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 teaspoons kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
1 1/4 cups polenta or yellow cornmeal
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
3/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Freshly ground black pepper

To Assemble:

10 to 12 strips thick-cut applewood smoked bacon (about 1 pound)
1 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature (about 8 ounces)
3 tablespoons maple syrup or agave
Pinch kosher salt
1/2 cup dried cranberries

 

For the polenta: Bring the broth, 2 1/2 cups water and the salt to a boil in a heavy 5-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Gradually whisk in the polenta. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often, until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the Parmesan, milk and butter. Stir until the butter and Parmesan have melted. Season with salt and pepper.

For assembly: Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Arrange the bacon in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until brown and crispy, 15 to 17 minutes. Drain on paper towels. When the bacon is cool enough to handle, chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.

Whisk together the mascarpone cheese, maple syrup and salt in a small bowl until smooth.

Transfer the polenta to 4 bowls or serving plates. Divide the bacon pieces and spoon on top. Dollop each serving with the mascarpone mixture and sprinkle with the dried cranberries.

 

 

bacon recipe courtesy of: Giada De Laurentiis, "Rise and Shine," Giada at Home, Food Network

2769. DRIED PLUM and BACON STRATA

serves eight


no-stick cooking spray

1 pound bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
6 cups French bread, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 cup (about 6 ounces) quartered dried plums
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
3 cups milk
8 large eggs
1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
1 teaspoon salt

Lightly coat 13 x 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside. In large nonstick skillet, add bacon; cook and stir 8 minutes over medium-high heat or until bacon is crisp. Drain. In large bowl, combine bread, dried plums, cheese and bacon. Arrange in baking dish; set aside. In medium bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, Italian herb seasoning and salt until well blended; pour over bread mixture. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Heat oven to 350ºF. Bake, covered, 55 to 65 minutes or until top is golden brown and knife inserted into center comes out clean. Serve warm.


bacon recipe courtesy of: California Dried Plums Board, 3840 Rosin Court, Sacramento, California 95834

2760. BACON and EGG SPINACH SALAD with POPPY SEED DRESSING

yields 10-12 servings 


Poppy Seed Dressing 
1/3 cup red wine vinegar 
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon 
3/4 teaspoon ground dried mustard 
2 teaspoons salt 
3 tablespoons yellow onion, finely minced 
2/3 cup sugar 
1 tablespoon poppy seeds 
1 cup canola oil

Bacon and Egg Salad 
12-15 oz baby spinach 
4-6 slices crisp bacon, crumbled 
4 hard-boiled eggs, sliced 
1 small or 1/2 large red onion, sliced very thin 
1 cup thinly sliced button mushrooms, about 5-6 medium 
1/2 cup dried cranberries 
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese, (4 ounces) 
1/2 cup candied walnuts

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake to combine. Or add to a food processor and while processing, slowly add the oil. In this case the onion could be coarsely chopped as it will become fine during processing. Place the spinach, bacon, eggs, red onion, mushrooms, cranberries, cheese and walnuts to a large bowl. Pour dressing over all and gently toss. May save some eggs and bacon to garnish top of salad.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Helen Horton, Saucy Cuisine, September 3, 2011

2759. CHERRY COKE BRAISED BACON

2-3 lbs slab of smoked bacon with skin
3 tablespoons cherry jam
1/4 cups dried cherries
1 vanilla bean split in half lengthwise
15 whole cloves
2 liter bottle of Coke
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and sliced
1 small head of cabbage, cored and shredded

Put the bacon in a large bowl and cover with water. Put it in the fridge overnight to reduce the amount of salt. Put the rack in the lower position and preheat your oven to 275 degrees. Place the bacon into a heavy pot that it will fit snugly into (you may want to cut it into 2-3 smaller pieces). Add the jam, vanilla, cloves, and cherries and pour enough Coke over to cover the pork. Bring it to a boil over the stove, cover and put it in the oven until the meat is fork tender (about 3 1/2 to 4 hours). Remove the bacon from the braising liquid and place it skin-side up on a rack over a baking sheet and tent with foil. Skim off the fat from the braising liquid and strain half of it into a sauce pan. Boil this until it is a nice syrupy sauce. Put the cabbage and apples into the other half and simmer until both are tender about 30-40 minutes. When you’re ready to serve, move the rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Uncover the bacon and put it in the oven for about 15 minutes or until the the skin is nice and crispy. Serve immediately with reduced braising liquid drizzled on top along with some of the braised cabbage and apples.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Marc Matsumoto, No Recipes, March 23, 2008

2740. CHOCOLATE-COVERED BACON ON A STICK with MARCONA ALMONDS and DRIED CHERRIES

serves twelve


12 slices of thick-sliced apple or hickory wood smoked bacon, skewered lengthwise
2 cups high quality semi sweet chocolate chips

6 tablespoons butter 

1/8 teaspoon sea salt 

1/2 cup finely chopped marcona almonds

1/2 cup finely chopped dried cherries

demerara or turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Cook bacon: Preheat the oven to 400. Place skewered bacon on a broiling pan. When oven is ready, bake the bacon until crisp, about 20 - 25 minutes in the top third of your oven. When done, set the pan aside and let the bacon cool. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with wax paper and set aside. 

Prep assembly line: Place bowl of finely chopped almonds and bowl of finely chopped cherries next to the bacon. Place Demerara sugar next to that. When your chocolate is done, you will have an assembly line of bacon, melted chocolate, cherries, almonds, and Demerara sugar.

Prep chocolate: Place semi sweet chocolate and butter in a shallow microwaveable bowl and microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Continue to microwave in 15 second increments, stirring after each one, until the chocolate and butter have melted. When melted, add a the sea salt and stir to combine.

Cover bacon in chocolate: Using a pastry brush, coat both sides of each piece of bacon with melted chocolate and place on baking sheet. If your bowl of chocolate sauce cools and hardens before you are finished brushing it onto the bacon, just stick it back into the microwave for 20 seconds or so. 

Sprinkle with almonds, cherries, and sugar: When all of the bacon is covered in chocolate, work with one piece at a time and cover with toppings. While the chocolate is still warm, place some of the chopped cherries over the chocolate on one side of a piece of bacon. The cherries are sticky so it is a bit of work. Sprinkle that side with the almonds and a pinch of Demerara sugar. Flip that piece over and do it again so that both sides are sprinkled with cherries, almonds, and Demerara. Do this for each piece of chocolate covered bacon. Refrigerate until hardened. Serve.

bacon recipe courtesy of: Waverly (member), Food52, New York City

2715. STEELHEAD TROUT with CURRANT BACON and ONION SAUCE

serves two


2 8-oz. steelhead trout fillets
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, to taste
4 strips of thick bacon
1 cup onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dried currants
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons honey

Preheat oven to broil. Prep baking sheet by lining with foil and greasing lightly. Remove pin bones from fillet if necessary. Slow cook bacon on medium low heat until done. Remove and place on paper towel. Chop when cooled. If less than 1/4 cup of grease is left in the pan, add more grease or oil. When heated, add chopped onion. Cook onions until light brown, about six minutes. When tender and lightly carmalized, add honey, vinegar, and currants. Let reduce until most of the liquid is gone. Remove from burner and set sauce aside. Place filet onto greased & lined baking sheet skin down. Sprinkle and lightly rub 2 tsp oil onto surface of filet. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Place pan onto rack about 3″ from broiler for 4-6 minutes or internal temperature is 130. Spoon sauce onto filet and serve with steamed broccoli or other veggie. Serve immediately.


bacon recipe courtesy of: the quaint life (member), Fast Paleo, May 9, 2012

2422. CHESTNUT, BACON, DRIED APPLE and CORN BREAD STUFFING

makes 10 to 12 servings


1/2 pound thick-cut bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips
4 cups chopped onions
3 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped dried apples
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons dried rubbed sage
2 7.4-ounce jars roasted whole chestnuts, coarsely broken
8 cups dried corn bread stuffing mix (from two 16-ounce packages)
1 3/4 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted

Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until brown and crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to large bowl. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from skillet. Add onions and celery to drippings in skillet. Cover and cook over medium heat until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Add vegetables to bacon; mix in apples, thyme, and sage, then chestnuts. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Reheat to lukewarm before continuing.)

Add corn bread stuffing mix to chestnut mixture. Mix in 1 3/4 cups broth. Drizzle with butter.

To bake stuffing in turkey: Loosely fill main cavity and neck cavity of turkey with stuffing. Add enough broth to remaining stuffing to moisten slightly (1/4 cup to 3/4 cup, depending on amount of remaining stuffing). Generously butter baking dish. Spoon remaining stuffing into prepared dish. Cover dish with buttered foil, buttered side down. Bake stuffing in dish — alongside turkey or while turkey is resting — until heated through, about 25 minutes. Uncover stuffing in dish. Bake until top of stuffing is slightly crisp and golden, about 15 minutes longer.

To bake stuffing in dish: Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Add enough extra broth to stuffing to moisten (3/4 cup to 1 1/4 cups). Transfer stuffing to prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down. Bake until heated through, about 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is slightly crisp and golden, about 20 minutes longer.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Aidells Sausage Company, Bon Appétit, November 2002

2311. BROWN RICE, DATES and PEPPERED BACON

serves six


1 cup medium grain brown rice, uncooked
2 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup dried dates, chopped
3 slices peppered bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup chives, chopped
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Combine rice and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a soft boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 50 minutes or until liquid is adsorbed. Remove from heat. Let stand covered for 10 minutes before serving. Let rice cool slightly. Immediately stir in the remaining ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot or cold.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The California Rice Commission, 8801 Folsom Blvd., Suite 172, Sacramento, California 95826-3249

2220. DRIED CHERRY, BACON and FARRO HOT DISH with ROAST CHICKEN

serves six


4 pound chicken, whole, giblets removed for another use
2 tablespoons butter, unsalted, softened
salt to taste
fresh ground pepper, to taste
2 oranges, zested, 1 juiced, the other cut in small cubes
2 cups whole emmer farro
6 cups chicken stock
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup onion, small diced
1 cup fennel, small diced
4 slices bacon, small diced
1/2 cup cherries, dried, unsweetened, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup pistachios, toasted
2 eggs
1 pinch red chile flakes
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoons thyme, chopped, fresh
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the softened butter with the salt and orange zest. Rub liberally on the chicken skin and under the skin on top of the meat (you'll have to use your fingers to get the butter to all corners.) Grind pepper and sprinkle all over the chicken. Place the bird on its side on a v-rack or in the bottom of a roasting pan. Cook for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken over onto its other side and cook for another 15 minutes. Increase the heat to 450 degrees and roast breast-side up until a thermometer in the thigh reads 165 degrees. While the chicken is cooking, prepare the farro. Heat the chicken stock, add farro, a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cover. Cook for approximately 50 minutes or until the liquid has absorbed into the grain. In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel and bacon and cook until the bacon fat is rendered and the onions and fennel soften, about 10 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and juice from one of the oranges. In a large bowl, mix the farro, cooked vegetables and bacon, dried cherries, pistachios, eggs, chile flakes, balsamic, thyme and reserved chopped orange pieces. Transfer to a casserole dish and cover. Bake in a hot oven (450 is fine if chicken is still cooking, if chicken is out of the oven, lower heat to 400) for 20 minutes covered, remove cover, mix and continue to cook for about 15 minutes more, until all liquid has absorbed into farro. Remove from the oven and pour any reserved pan juices from the chicken into the farro. Mix well and serve dish alongside roast chicken, garnished with parsley leaves.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Chef Becky Selengut, Cornucopia Cuisine, Seattle, Washington | on JacquelineChurch.com, December 2, 2009

2219. WILD RICE STUFFING with CRANBERRIES, BACON and PECANS

serves eight


1 1/4 cup wild rice, uncooked
4 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup onion, chopped
1 14-oz can chicken broth
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons dry sherry
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, crushed
2 cups fennel or celery, chopped
3/4 cup dried cranberries or chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup pecans, chopped and toasted

Rinse wild rice in cold water. Drain well; set aside. In a large saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in saucepan. Drain bacon; set aside. Add onion to saucepan; cook until tender, stirring occasionally. Add wild rice; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Add chicken broth, water, sherry and thyme. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in fennel and dried cranberries. Meanwhile, heat oven to 350 degrees F. Transfer rice mixture to a 2-quart casserole. Cover and bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, stirring once. Stir in pecans and bacon.


bacon recipe courtesy of: The National Pork Board/Pork: Be Inspired

1862. ONE-PAN BRAISED KALE with BACON and NEW POTATOES

makes four servings


2 bunches black or green kale (to end up with about 6 cups of cooked and chopped kale)
16 small new potatoes, or 4 medium regular firm boiling potatoes
3 garlic cloves, peeled
225 grams / 8 oz piece of bacon, cut into cubes
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
black pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Wash the kale, and rip off the leaves. If you have very long leaves you may want to cut them in half or thirds so they fit in the pot. Put the kale in the boiling water and cook for 4-5 minutes. Drain, and refresh under cold running water. Take bunches of the cooked kale and squeeze out as much water out of them as you can. Chop up finely.

In the meantime, scrub the new potatoes and cut them into half. If you’re using regular potatoes, peel and cut into chunks.

Put the bacon cubes in a large frying pan, and fry them over medium heat until they are crispy-brown on the outside. Take the bacon out, wipe out most of the bacon fat with a paper towel if there’s a lot there, and add the garlic and potatoes. Saute for 5-6 minutes over high heat, until the potatoes are lightly browned. Add 2 cups of water to the pan, and put a lid on. Lower the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Add the chopped kale, and stir and season with salt, pepper and soy sauce. Add the cranberries, and put the lid back on. Let it cook over medium-low heat for another 10 minutes. The garlic cloves should be soft enough to just mash up at this point; do so and stir it into the kale.

Serve hot or cold.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Makiko Itoh, Just Bento